Plumeria passion: Popular in Hawaii, the tropical plants also can thrive in SoCal

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Plumeria named “Pink Parfait” is one of many varieties at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. (Photo by Walt Mancini/Pasadena Star-News)

Diana Donnellan, volunteer curator of the Plumeria Grove at the Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden, looks for the right size branch to graft a plumeria plant with different color flower blooms. (Photo by Walt Mancini/Pasadena Star-News)

While ZIP codes may say it’s Southern California, with a few choice plantings your yard can become a tropical paradise.

Plumeria, the sweet-smelling flowers that grace Hawaiian leis and is a familiar celebratory sight at graduations, are a water-wise option, meaning they can tolerate dry conditions while flourishing in full sun.

So, even though much of Southern California doesn’t naturally have the cool ocean breezes of the islands, homeowners who generally turn to hibiscus, coral trees, jacaranda, palms and bougainvillea, also should consider saying “aloha” to plumeria.

“Everyone who has been to Hawaii wants the same flowers and looks here,” said Seymour Van Gundy, professor emeritus of nematology and plant pathology and dean emeritus at UC Riverside. “Over there, plumeria are grown in groves, but they love Southern California weather, too.”

He’s passionate about plumeria and knows for a fact they’ll thrive here. He has at least 200 of the Caribbean natives at his Riverside home.

Van Gundy taught plumeria workshops for years, even inviting fans to his home to see his personal collection. He’s now retired from the university and from the UCR Extension classes, but he remains an expert on the plant.

“Plumeria should almost be treated like cactus,” he said. “The things that can go wrong with them are that people overwater, and they will freeze when the weather changes.

“We like its flowers,” he added. “We float them in bowls and we have a bowl that looks like a lei. They make a nice table decoration, and they smell really nice.”

They grow in the ground, but Van Gundy prefers pots, preferably near cement walls, which provide warmth when temperatures cool, something that won’t be a factor for a while. June is prime plumeria-growing season, when what looked like dormant or dead branches suddenly transform into colorful masses of blooms. If cared for properly, that will keep up until October.

Diana Donnellan, another plumeria expert, recently spent a week with other dedicated volunteers at the Los Angeles Arboretum planting, pruning and preparing its beautiful collection at the grove on Tallac Knoll. This is the third year she’s done that.

“They are in the middle of the Oak Grove on top of a hill,” she said. “When I first saw them, they were in rough shape. I asked if I could help. We’ve pruned, staked and fertilized along with correctly identifying them.

“Now, I’ve created 10 walking tours,” she added. “I share this with the online community and ask for peer review of what I write. This is education. I want people to learn about how to prune, about the different scents and the different flower shapes. We’re trying to expose people to all the variations and direct them to places to find more information.”

Public workshops are set for July and August when she and other volunteers pass that knowledge to others.

Donnellan said many of Southern California’s Asian and Pacific Islander communities brought the trees and a love for them when they moved here. People were captivated by the tree’s beauty. The industry thrived, then about 20 years ago, the homegrown market caught on and really exploded.

“Yes, you see them everywhere here now, but you have to know how to care for them,” said the Carlsbad resident, who’s an active member of the South Coast Plumeria Society, which is based in Anaheim.

They may look like sticks before blossoming, but gardeners can’t just stick them into the ground and expect results.

“They flourish in Hawaii, but we aren’t living in Hawaii,” she said. “People put them in the middle of lawns and they end up drowning in the sprinklers. Many say, gee, it rains every day in Hawaii, but it’s also 80 degrees every night.”

Knowledge goes a long way, she said. First, plumeria are trees and can grow to great heights.

“If you’re not careful, it can be like planting a sequoia next to your sidewalk,” she said. “When you’re planting, think that you’re planting a Volkswagen every time you’re putting one into the ground. Plan. Don’t just plop them down next to your pansies.”

The volunteer effort at the arboretum has added diversity to the grove, which now showcases a whole range of differences in flowers, growth patterns and plants beyond the more familiar ones reminiscent of those available in the 1980s, she said.

As part of that educational push, Donnellan has created 10 walking tours at the arboretum to help fans and fan wannabes learn more.

“The tours are grove-specific because I want to expose people to all the variations and direct them to places to find more information,” she said. “The grove will outlive me and there needs to be a stable place for people to go to and learn.”

Tips

• When planting, dig a hole twice the size of the root ball. Use cactus mix along with one part soil and one part compost. Combine the cactus mix and soil at the bottom. Make sure the root ball is 1 inch above the soil.

• To keep plumeria blooming, fertilize every two weeks until September.

• Stick your finger in the soil to 1 inch. If it’s moist, don’t water. Once roots are established, it isn’t very thirsty.

Suzanne Sproul is a lucky wife and proud mom of two great daughters. She’s a transplanted Snow Bird from Chicago who prefers warm climates, particularly central Florida and its beautiful Gulf Coast and Southern California, where she’s lived most of her life. The University of Florida J-school graduate has been a city reporter and features editor, but has spent the past 27 fun years covering stories she loves -- features about SoCal’s diverse and trendy homes+gardens and eclectic arts/entertainment along with her weekly column about the good people of the Inland Empire. When she’s not filing stories, you can find her gardening at home, biking with her husband, jumping around in Zumba class, organizing family adventures – digging for hanksite clusters at the Gem-o-Rama in Trona, anyone? – or rooting for favored sports teams. I’m looking at you USC Trojans, University of California Davis Aggies, University of Florida Gators and those loveable Chicago Cubs, World Champions 2016. Life really is good!